The See Through Windows Options screen is now DPI-aware, i.e. if you have large fonts enabled it will still look good

Two new hotkeys have been added: Control+Windows+PageUp and Control+Windows+PageDown. These will change the transparency of the active window in small steps. There is no need to press the 'transparenticizing' hotkey first.

By default, Windows comes with several customization options so you can make your work or home computer perfectly suit your mood or style. However, a simple search over the web returns an abundance of OS enhancements, with See Through Windows letting you enable transparency for anything on your desktop and a few more goodies.

Clever hotkey implementation

In case you consider nothing happens when you run the application, check your system tray because it stays there most of the times. This is also because of no actual interface, except for a configuration screen that lets you set up the how and what.

The biggest advantage is implemented hotkey support, which is also the only way to enable transparency for a specific window. You can use any combination of keys you see fit, with the possibility to use Shift, Control, Alt and Windows buttons with any other one on your keyboard.

Easy to set up and use

A slider lets you adjust the level that ranges from full transparency to opaque, thus not limiting you in any way. In addition, the target window can be made “Click-through” and kept on top of all other running applications.

Flexibility is further enhanced, with a couple of functions letting you manage basic window positioning and size with the help of a few standard hotkeys. What's more, ticking the “Preview transparency” box lets you view effects in real time for proper adjustment.

The application automatically starts with Windows and there's isn't an option to disable that. However, it's an advantage if the set of features tickles your fancy, because you can start using the hotkeys as soon as you reach the desktop.

All in all

On an ending note, See Through Windows is a small operating system enhancement that cleverly blends in any environment. It can easily be used to check out what's going on in the background, while keeping focused on other applications. It's easy to set up and use, being especially useful for observation and taking notes.

See Through Windows was reviewed by Mircea Dragomir, last updated on February 6th, 2015